Child Sickened By Amoeba in Lake Minnewaska Near Glenwood

ST. PAUL (AP) — Minnesota health officials say a child has been sickened by a rare brain infection after swimming in a lake in Pope County.

The state Department of Health said Tuesday the child became critically ill after swimming in Lake Minnewaska.

Officials suspect the child contracted a form of parasitic meningitis.

The disease is caused by an amoeba often found in warm bodies of freshwater. The amoeba reaches the brain after contaminated water is inhaled through the nose, although health officials say that occurrence is rare.

The infections are more common in warm southern states. Thirty-five cases were reported in the U.S. from 2005 through 2014, including single cases in Minnesota in 2010 and 2012. Both Minnesota cases were linked to a lake in Washington County.